New North West chairman to face punishment

SHARE | Monday, 15 May 2017 | By Solomon Tjinyeka

Mbulawa

Two Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) councillors from North West District Council are likely to face disciplinary process for violating a resolution of the party caucus. These are Duncan Enga and Vepaune Moreti who stood to oppose their own in council leadership elections after they were defeated at the party caucus on Sunday evening at Maun lodge. At the party caucus, Reaboka Mbulawa was voted by 16 while Enga got 13 votes. Nico Folai got nine votes while Moreti got eight for the position of Vice Sub Council chairman of Maun Administration Authority MAA which is a subordinate to NWDC. The BDP North West regional chairman Eagilwe Modisaemang, who was the election overseer, said the duo was not supposed to stand for elections after losing at the caucus. Modisaemang said all BDP members are obliged to respect the decisions made at the caucus. A reliable source said some BDP members were against Enga and Moreti standing for council seat because they knew that they were going to win as they had support from the opposition. “There were some directives from the top to vote for Mbulawa instead of Enga at the caucus,” a source said. On Monday elections Enga humiliated Mbulawa for the NWDC chairman seat, garnering 29 votes against Mbulawa’s 19. Moreti also trounced Folai for the position of MAA sub council vice chairman as he was voted by 20 councillors while Folai got only eight votes.

Modisaemang also stated that he has submitted a report of the Sunday election to the Central Committee and the duo will know their fate soon. “When you defy a caucus you are given a hearing to explain to the central committee why you defied the caucus. This is what will happen to Enga and Moreti,” he said. Enga has however defended his decision, saying the campaign for the council seat was not fair. Enga said Mbulawa was canvassing for support from opposition councilors before the caucus took place. Enga said he reported the matter to the former BDP North West chairman Baphothologi Kgari but no action was taken. “How can I accept defeat while I know that the campaign was dirty?” Enga queried. He added that some BDP Central Committee members were making threats to some councilors not to vote for him. “Some were even told that I’m not standing for the position of chairman as I received calls a day before elections from councilors asking whether I’m standing for elections or not,” he said. For his part, Mbulawa called for action against Enga for violating party resolutions. “This is the second time Enga defied party caucus. He did this in 2014 and he has done it again. The party must do something because he is setting a bad precedence,” he decried.